Summit between US and Chinese leaders follows tensions over White House policy
Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump will meet in April at Mar-a-Lago, the so-called winter White House, in the first meeting between the two leaders.
The visit paves the way for greater dialogue between Washington and Beijing after a series of combative comments by the US president towards China during the 2016 presidential race. It comes as the US is increasingly concerned about the threat from North Korea — an issue on which Washington wants more co-operation from Beijing.
The Chinese foreign ministry did not comment, but last week, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said he expected "good news" soon about a Xi-Trump summit.
Mr Xi will be one of the first foreign leaders to visit the US following visits by Britain's Theresa May, Canada's Justin Trudeau, Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Japan's Shinzo Abe. Germany's Angela Merkel is due to arrive in the US capitol on Tuesday.
While Mr Trump attacked numerous foreign leaders during the 2016 race, he reserved particular vitriol for Beijing and its trade and currency policies, which he said had hurt American workers.
In December, Mr Trump became the first US president or president-elect to speak with a Taiwanese leader since 1979 when he took a congratulatory call from President Tsai Ing-wen. Before he took office, he signalled he could drop the "One China" policy under which the US recognises Beijing as the sole legal government of China. However, since entering the White House in January, he has softened his rhetoric on China.
While he has called China the "grand champion" of currency manipulation, he has not followed through so far on his vow to brand Beijing as a "currency manipulator" — something he said he would do on his first day in office.
In his first phone call with Mr Xi as president, Mr Trump said he would adhere to the "One China" policy, backing away from his earlier comments.
Mr Xi will be only the second foreign leader to visit Mar-a-Lago, Mr Trump's resort in West Palm Beach in Florida.
China had expressed interest in the summit being held at the estate after the Japanese prime minister spent two days there last month. Mr Abe's visit included a day of golf, two formal dinners and a visit by the leaders' wives to a local Japanese garden.
The Japanese and US leaders also dropped in on a wedding that was taking place on the Mar-a-Lago grounds, with Mr Trump telling Mr Abe that the bride and groom had been longtime members of his club and paid him "a fortune" over the years, CNN reported.
No hay comentarios.:
Publicar un comentario